An entrepreneur is a person who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. Entrepreneurs are seen as go-getters, the people that make things happen, those who are willing to risk it all just to succeed. Some people are born to be entrepreneurs – as if they have this innate ability to find business opportunities at every turn. But for everyone else, that ability is less pronounced. The idea of starting a business or taking on risk of any magnitude is overwhelming. However, just because a person may not be a natural when it comes to the world of business doesn’t mean they can’t learn the necessary skills to take themselves to that next level. You may be sitting there wondering why someone with a perfectly good job would ever need to waste time studying up on risks and business strategy when they already make a steady living but it’s this line of thinking exactly that brings us to the point of this article – the probability of future occurrences and how to navigate them using entrepreneurial tactics.

Imagine for instance that you’ve been working for the same company for the last 6 years. You love your job, you have great benefits, and you plan on staying with that company until retirement. It’s a relatively low risk, stable move all things considered, and a route that most working adults choose to follow. Unfortunately, what most people fail to realize is that low risk doesn’t mean no risk. Going back to our scenario, consider the possibility that one day you go into work only to find out that the company is going under and all its employees are laid off effective immediately. Never having expected this, you have no contingency plan upon which to fall back. Not only are your immediate finances in jeopardy but so too are your retirement funds. You need a new source of income and quick. What do you do?

There are several options a person has at this juncture. Some might see the above situation in a wholly negative light. They’ll bemoan their bad situation and fret about money without making any real moves to change anything. Eventually they may find a new job and continue their cycle of workplace complacency, never really getting ahead, just . . . maintaining. Others will see this sudden change as a window of opportunity – a window that leads to new, better, and higher aspirations apart from simply following the status quo. Those are the people who understand the value of being an entrepreneur. They’ll turn their skills and knowledge into marketable assets thus avoiding the pitfall of unforeseen, potentially detrimental, circumstances.

When faced with such an opportunity, two main factors can be blamed for holding people back. One is a lack of knowledge and the other is fear. You see, our education system isn’t designed to teach us how to be our own bosses. We’re groomed to take our place among the millions of other corporate lackeys, always taking orders from above. This grooming does more than prepare us for a life of corporate obedience however. It breeds a fear of deviation. People are so scared to take risks because they have zero knowledge of how to do so successfully. Luckily there’s a plethora of resources out there to guide those who are willing to learn.

If you’re one of those people and feel you’re ready to take the next step, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone, then you need to first consider your own skill set. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? Focus on something you can see yourself actually doing. Set a goal and stick to it. Don’t allow yourself to be bogged down over fears of being unsuccessful. It would be unrealistic to say that failure isn’t a possibility. Of course it is. But a true entrepreneur understands the difference between calculated risks and throwing oneself blindly into a new venture. Every scenario comes with a certain amount of risk. It’s an unavoidable part of the process. The trick is being able to identify the risks and learning how to plan for those eventualities. And the more you study this process, the more you’ll come to see that many of the most successful entrepreneurs didn’t always succeed on their first try. It may’ve taken several failed attempts before they figured out what worked. Their determination and perseverance is what pulled them to the top. They not only came up with a marketable idea, they remained committed to their idea, bringing us to the very important concept of now investing in your idea.

There’s an old saying in the business world that states “It takes money to make money.” You can’t expect to invest the bare minimum in your new business and have it make you a millionaire overnight. You get out what you put in. This is undeniably the part where most aspiring new entrepreneurs get cold feet. Initial investments can sometimes seem daunting. But if you took the time to understand any and all potential risks you may face, you have a good chance of avoiding the worst of them. What’s more, if you don’t have enough faith in your own product to fully invest in it, what’s going to convince someone else that it’s a worthwhile product? Conviction is key.

Whether you’re gearing up to revolutionize modern industry or simply generate passive income from the comforts of home, all levels of entrepreneurs share a few traits in common. They recognized firstly the value in having a business plan they could rely on followed by the recognition of their own potential – a potential each and every one of us has if we only took the time to look for it. Don’t let your fears ruin what could be the best decision you’ve ever made. Formulate a plan, do your due diligence in researching potential outcomes, and take that leap. Every great business began with just an idea and a little faith. Opportunity lies just around the corner. Will you reach out and grab it?